He reached for his door handle, but froze as he saw a dark figure race furtively from behind a tree toward the side of her house.
Pounding with adrenaline, Gideon eased his car door open, stepped silently out, then eased the door closed again.
He stood perfectly still, eyes trained on the side of the house as he wondered if he’d really seen something or only imagined it. Around him the night was quiet, but not silent. Autumn leaves skittered along the street, and a dog barked someplace in the distance. He narrowed his eyes, watching…waiting. Again he saw a flash of movement, and with the stealth of a cat, Gideon ran after it.
As he rounded the corner of the house, he saw a tall figure at one of the bedroom windows, the screen half torn away. Gideon didn’t take time to introduce himself or wait for explanations. With a low growl, he tackled the intruder around the waist, both of them tumbling to the ground.
The man was about Gideon’s size, and fought back, attempting to free himself. Gideon grunted as a knee found his stomach, but he didn’t release his hold.
They grappled for what seemed like an eternity, an even match of strength that had them both gasping and grunting with exertion.
“What’s going on?” Colleen’s voice, high with near hysteria, penetrated the sounds of grunts.
“Call the police,” Gideon gasped as the intruder sagged in apparent defeat. “This creep was trying to break into your window.”
“I’m not a creep,” the intruder said. “I’m her brother.”
Colleen gasped, and Gideon released his hold and stood up. The man turned on his back, and Gideon found himself staring at Sam Baker.
“Sam…oh, Sam.” Colleen ran to her brother and helped him to his feet. Once he was up, she launched herself into his arms, crying in obvious relief. “Thank God you’re all right. You’re alive. What are you doing here? Where have you been? Are you okay?” Questions tumbled out of her as she hugged him.
“Maybe we should take this reunion inside,” Gideon suggested.
“Good idea,” Sam replied. “The last thing I want is to be seen by anyone else.”
Together the three of them went into the house. Colleen and Sam sat on the sofa, and Gideon took a position near the front door, unsure what to do. Sam’s gaze on him was wary, and he didn’t seem to relax until Colleen assured him he could talk freely in front of Gideon.
“Sam, where have you been? We’ve all been worried sick,” Colleen said as she reached out a hand and grabbed Sam’s.
“Everywhere,” Sam replied, and Gideon heard the deep, abiding weariness in his voice. Sam looked at Colleen. “I didn’t kill him, Colleen. I didn’t kill Dad.”
“I know that,” Colleen replied, her gaze lingering lovingly on her brother.
“You know the police are looking for you,” Gideon said.
Sam nodded. “The police and whoever was responsible for the murder. It’s all a big mess. From what I’ve managed to piece together, somebody in the company was laundering large sums of money. Huge sums.” Sam wiped his face with a hand and leaned his head back as if exhausted. “Whoever was responsible for the money laundering killed Dad, and I’m not giving myself up to the police until I know who did it.”
“So what are you doing here?” Gideon asked.
Sam looked at Colleen again. “I need your necklace, the one Dad gave you. It’s got a code on the back.” He looked at Gideon. “I think my father knew what was going on, and he’s got a file in the computer that will tell us who he suspected. I think that file will point a finger at his murderer.”
“We found the file in your father’s computer but couldn’t access it,” Gideon explained.
Sam nodded. “The file is also on the main computer at Baker Enterprises, but Dad apparently had it created by a genius. It can’t be opened without the code.”
“Why didn’t your father just take this information to the police? Let them handle it?” Gideon still wasn’t sure what to make of the situation.
“He was going to. He intended to talk to the police. He was murdered before he got a chance.” He turned to Colleen. “Please tell me you still have your necklace.”
She nodded. “We put it in a safety-deposit box. Did you take Bonnie’s and Carolyn’s? They were stolen…was it you?”
“No.” A black despair swept over his features. “I wish it had been me. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who has figured out that the key is in the necklaces. When I get yours I’ll have two, and somebody else will have two.”
“Why not give yourself up? Let the police sort all this out?” Gideon said.
Sam shook his head. “Whoever is responsible for all this mess has some of the police in his back pocket. I don’t know who to trust. It’s easier to trust nobody.”
“What are you going to do?” Colleen asked softly.
“I’m not sure. I only know that as long as I have two of the charms, I have some bargaining power. Can you meet me someplace tomorrow with your necklace?”
Colleen nodded. “Then what?” she asked.
Sam smiled and placed a hand on Colleen’s cheek. “Then I disappear again until I figure out some sort of plan.” Gideon saw the love Sam had for his sister as Sam gazed at her. “Colleen, I’ve intentionally kept away from all of you. I’ve had to, and I’m sorry that I couldn’t let you know where I was. I know it’s been hard on you…hard on Julianne and Emily.” A brief spasm of pain crossed his face, and Gideon knew he was thinking of his wife, his child. “The people who killed Dad are ruthless, and I’m afraid for all of you. That’s why we can’t stay in contact. It would kill me if anything happened to all of you.”
Gideon believed him. He believed all of it. What he saw before him was not a cold-blooded killer who’d taken his own father’s life and was running from justice. What he saw was a man whose life had been ripped apart, a man who was afraid but determined to keep his loved ones safe and find the person or persons responsible for killing his father.
Within minutes they had agreed to meet at Gideon’s houseboat the next day. Sam would arrive sometime in the morning, and Colleen would bring the necklace at some point in the evening. With luck, nobody would see Sam’s arrival, and if Colleen was being followed nobody would think it strange she’d come to Gideon’s.
Once the arrangements were made, Sam headed for the back door to leave. Gideon watched as Colleen and Sam hugged tightly, the bond of love between them apparent. Then Gideon and Sam shook hands and Sam disappeared into the darkness of the night.
Gideon saw the grief that darkened Colleen’s eyes as she slowly closed the back door. She leaned heavily against it, eyeing him with a curious smile. “Thank you,” she finally said softly.
“For what?”
“For not calling the police. For not turning Sam in.”
“It didn’t even cross my mind,” Gideon replied truthfully.
“It did mine. I owe you an apology.”
He looked at her in surprise. “Why?”
She moved away from the door, walked to the living room. Gideon followed, as always confused by her thought process. “Why do you owe me an apology?” he asked again as she sat on the sofa.
She folded her hands in her lap, gazing at them instead of at him. “While Sam was here I realized that if you took him in to the police, you’d be a hero.” Her gaze met his. “You’d be the one who caught the man the police department couldn’t get. There would probably be lots of publicity, money from new cases and guest appearances all over the country. You’d be a real-life hero.” Again her gaze went to her hands. “For just a moment, I was afraid that the pull of all that glory, all that cold, hard cash might make you turn Sam in.”
For just a brief moment, anger rose inside him at her words. What kind of a man did she think he was? The anger died as quickly as it had been born. Hadn’t he gone out of his way to make her think he was just that kind of man? “You don’t owe me an apology,” he replied.
She looked at him once again, and this time tears spa
rkled in her eyes. “Just tell me it wasn’t the money, Gideon,” she begged softly. “Please, just tell me when you kissed me, when you held me, it wasn’t because you wanted only my money. I just need to know that much…that it was me, not the money.”
In that instant, Gideon realized how scarred she’d been by her brief marriage, and he cursed Jesse Jensen for the wounds he’d created. “Colleen, when I kissed you, it was because I wanted you, not your money. It never had anything to do with money.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she nodded. “Thank you,” she said with a quiet dignity that made Gideon’s knees weaken with his love for her. She frowned thoughtfully. “So how did you see Sam breaking in? What are you doing here?”
“I was parked across the street, trying to get up the nerve to come in and talk to you.”
“About what?”
“I’ve still got your dad’s computer. I was wondering what you wanted done with it.” The moment the words left his mouth, Gideon frowned, realizing he was running…again. “That’s not true,” he immediately blurted.
“You don’t still have Dad’s computer?” She looked at him in confusion.
“No. I mean, yes. Yes, I still have the computer and no, that’s not why I really came by.” He raked a hand through his hair, realizing it was time to jump back into life with both feet, knowing he wanted to jump back into love with the woman who stared at him, obviously perplexed.
“Gideon?”
“I…I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in the past week,” he said as he paced the floor in front of her. “You were right about a lot of the things you said to me. I rolled over and played dead when I left the police force, and I’ve been playing dead most of the time ever since. I loved being a cop, and I was good at it.” He stopped his pacing and remained in front of her. “I’ve decided I’m going to fight to get my job back.”
“Oh, Gideon, that’s wonderful.”
“Wait…that’s only the beginning.” He saw the pulse that beat at the base of her throat, knew it reflected the sudden erratic beat of her heart, of his heart. “Colleen, I’m not a hero. I’m just a man who loves you.”
Colleen felt as if all the air in the room had mysteriously disappeared. She gasped in shock, his words as unexpected as Sam’s sudden appearance had been. She’d spent the past week trying to forget Gideon, wishing she’d never met him, realizing she could never forget him because he was in her blood, in her heart. She stared at him. Maybe she hadn’t heard him right. “Pardon me?”
“Colleen, I love you. I want to marry you and make babies with you. I want to share my life with you.” He stopped abruptly. Walking toward her, he held out his hand. “Come with me,” he said.
Still reeling, afraid to believe his words, she took his hand and allowed him to pull her from the sofa. “Where are you taking me?” she asked as he opened the front door.
“Shh,” he answered, a smile curving his lips.
He took her out into the middle of her front yard, then stopped and turned to face her. His disobedient, thick hair shone silvery with the light of the moon. His features were illuminated by moonlight. “You know I’ve heard it from good authority that it’s absolutely impossible to lie if you’re standing in the moonlight,” he said, his voice a soft caress that filled her with warmth despite the chill of the night.
“I’ve heard that, too,” she answered softly.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him, so close she could feel the beating of his heart. He gazed into her eyes intently. “Do you love me, Colleen?” He stood still, as if holding his breath.
“Yes,” she answered fervently, tears of joy blurring her vision. She wiped at them impatiently, wanting to drink in his moonlit features.
“Now, ask me.”
She saw his hunger, his need for her shining from the depths of his eyes. She recognized it for what it was. Desire, yes, passion, yes, but so much more than that. She saw his love and had no need for the words. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his head down so her lips could taste his.
Love was in his kiss. Love so sweet, so pure, so strong it radiated through her. His mouth drank of her as he pulled her so tight against him their heartbeats melded, appearing to be one single strong heart.
Oh, how she loved this complicated, headstrong man. He might not know it, but he was her hero, a man she knew she would be able to depend on for a lifetime of happiness and love. And she would spend every day for the rest of their lives loving him.
As he ended the kiss, he gazed at her face. “You didn’t ask me,” he chided.
Although she didn’t need it, she knew for some reason he needed to say the words aloud. “Gideon … do you love me?”
He raised his face to the lunar light, then looked at her. “More than life and forever,” he said, and his lips once again descended on hers.
As Colleen returned his kiss, she tasted his promise, his commitment, his everlasting love on his lips. She felt as if she’d reached the end of a quest. What had begun as a mission to find Sam had ended in her finding a home in Gideon’s heart.
Epilogue
They were married on the dock, surrounded by a small group of friends and fishermen. Margie was Colleen’s maid of honor, and Eddy served as Gideon’s best man.
“I thought Eddy was going to burst the buttons on his tux, he was so puffed up with pride when he handed you the ring,” Colleen said, snuggling closer against her husband’s side.
Husband. She thrilled at the word and raised her head to look at him. His hair, as always, was mussed, and his features were softened by the smile that curved his lips.
They had just made love, exquisite, soul-bonding love. He seemed so at peace, no shadows at all in his beautiful eyes. He gently brushed a curl of her hair from her forehead. “I’m sorry your family couldn’t be here.”
She shrugged. “Carolyn and Beau didn’t count on the twins coming down with chicken pox, and who would have guessed Bonnie would be pregnant and suffering morning sickness twenty-four hours a day?” She smiled, hoping someday she would have the opportunity to experience the joys and ills of pregnancy.
“What?” He traced her smile with a fingertip. “What brings that smile to my wife’s face?” He whistled softly. “My wife. Just the words give me such a thrill.”
“I was just thinking how nice it would be to have a little boy with your eyes.”
“Hmm, and a little girl with your laugh.” His fingers trailed down the side of her face, a caressing touch of infinite love. At the same time a cool, salt-tinged breeze swept in through the window. Laughing, Gideon grabbed the blankets and covered them, pulling her closer against his body. “I can’t believe you wanted to spend your wedding night here on the houseboat.”
Colleen smiled, pleased with their new living arrangements. During the week they would stay in the duplex, and on the weekends they would stay on the houseboat. “On the nights I stayed here, I thought about being here in your arms. The whole room smelled of you, and I longed for you to get off that sofa and come in here with me. I dreamed of you making love to me while the boat rocked softly beneath us.”
“Oh, Colleen, I hope I can always make your dreams come true,” he said softly. “I just wish I could make things right with Sam.”
“Gideon, we gave him the necklace, and he has our trust in his innocence. It’s out of our hands. It’s up to Sam now, and there’s nothing more either of us can do for him.” Colleen’s heart ached at the thought of her brother, but she knew she was right. Sam’s future was not hers to manage, nor was it Gideon’s. Somehow, someway she had to believe that Sam would be all right. Besides, although it made her feel horribly selfish, she was so wonderfully filled with her own future, with the man holding her close.
“I have a wedding present for you,” Gideon said.
She looked at him in dismay. “Oh, no, I don’t have one for you.”
He grinned, a lazy, sexy smile that stole her breath away. “Darling, just moments ago
you gave me one heck of a wedding present.”
A blush warmed her face as she realized what he was talking about. She elbowed him in the ribs and giggled.
He yelped in mock pain, then rolled over and grabbed a bag from under the bed. Immediately she smelled the familiar yeasty cinnamon scent. “Cinnamon knots? How did you ever get Elda to bake them for you?”
“I told her we’d raise her rent if she didn’t.”
“You didn’t,” Colleen gasped with a giggle.
He laughed. “No, I didn’t. Actually, I think Elda was honored to make them for us.” He opened the bag and reached inside. Withdrawing one of the sweets, he offered it to her.
She took a bite, then he took one, and a thrill of shared intimacy rushed through her. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“Yes, but that’s one thing I’ll never grow tired of hearing.”
“Gideon, I love you,” she whispered.
He smiled. “I think it’s appropriate that we’re having cinnamon knots on our wedding night. It’s symbolic of our lives intricately tied together with love.” He gave her another bite, then popped the last of it into his mouth. “And now, I have a favor to ask you.”
“What?” Her breath caught in her chest as his eyes darkened, deepened with desire.
“Would you mind giving me my wedding present again?” A wicked smile lit his face as his hands caressed her nakedness beneath the covers.
“Why, Mr. Graves, I’d be delighted,” she replied breathlessly.
As his lips claimed hers, she tasted the sugary sweetness of cinnamon and the fevered heat of his passion. More than anything, she tasted love.
* * * * *
eISBN 978-14592-7993-3
AN IMPROMPTU PROPOSAL
Copyright © 1996 by Carla Bracale
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office. Silhouette Books, 300 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017 U.S.A.
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